NEW YORK: Nearly 18.7 million households tuned in for President Obama's mid-week press conference on health-care reform. The July 22 telecast was watched by around 24.7 million people across 11 broadcast and cable networks. ABC, CBS, NBC, Univision, Telemundo, BBC-A, BET, CNBC, CNN, Fox News Channel, and MSNBC carried the telecast. The Fox broadcast network again opted out, and instead ran its regular programming. The Big Four broadcast networks have estimated that each presidential presser costs them a combined $10 million in lost ad revenue.

The latest prime-time presser is the fourth for the president since he took office. His Feb. 9 stimulus plan speech netted a 30.8 rating across eight networks. It was watched by nearly 49.5 million people in 35.3 million households.

The March 24 economic recovery speech scored a 25.9 rating across 11 networks, attracting 40.4 million people in 29.8 million households.

His 100th day in office address to the nation garnered an 18.8 rating on 10 networks, drawing 28.8 million people in 21.4 million households.-- Deborah D. McAdams

Fox bowed out of Wednesday's event, marking the first time a major broadcast network has not carried a presidential press conference. Its cable sister network, Fox News, carried it, as did ABC, CBS, NBC, Univision, CNN, MSNBC, CNBC and MUN2.